New Hampshire

Statistics from the US Census Bureau points out that 14.7% of New Hampshire’s 2012 population comprised of senior citizens. In the same year, women consisted 50.6% of the overall number of residents, indicating an almost equal gender distribution. Both senior citizens and women are more likely to require long-term care services due to problems in health.

America’s Health Rankings, a per-state report by the United Health Foundation, put New Hampshire in 5th place among the healthiest states. New Hampshire had the fourth least incidence of health disparity among states, and ranked eighth for the fewest number of fatalities caused by cardiovascular disease. Although the state saw lower levels of physical inactivity, obesity is still a major concern among residents.

Moreover, a report in the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) shows that New Hampshire is the country’s biggest consumer of alcoholic beverages per capita. A resident 14 years of age and above drank 4.65 gallons in 2012, almost twice the average amount of per-capita consumption for the whole U.S.

Cost of Care

Below are the average daily cost* of long-term care services in New Hampshire.

City

Nursing Facility1

Assisted Living1

Adult Day Care2

Home Health Aide3

Concord

$283

$225

$70

N/A

Dover

$347

$138

N/A

N/A

Notes:

*Costs are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.1Daily average for a private room.2Based on five days of care per week.3Based on six hours of care per day, five days per week.

Insurance Options

Mutual of Omaha’s Mutual Care Plus and United LTCi Solutions policies that classify as ‘new business’ went through adjustments in their rates of inflation riders. In New Hampshire and eight other states, the adjustments took effect on March 1, 2012.

TransCare III, a policy lately introduced by Transamerica, can be found in New Hampshire’s long-term care insurance market. The newer product has a higher maximum daily benefit amount at $500, a couples discount raised to 30%, and additional features that can benefit the individual policyholder. Official quotation and application processes for TransCare III started on September 10, 2013.

On February 16, 2010, the Long-Term Care Partnership program became effective in New Hampshire. Some insurance carriers approved to market Partnership policies in the state are Allianz Life, Assurity Life, American General Life, Berkshire Life, Genworth, John Hancock, Massachusetts Mutual, Northwestern, and State Farm.

State Long-Term Care Programs

Senior residents can enroll in Medicare in order to receive insurance benefits for nursing facility care, home health care, and other health-related services. AARP, or the American Association of Retired Persons, notes that 96% of older adults in New Hampshire were reported as Medicare enrollees in 2011. This government program also spent around $1.7 billion in 2012 so nearly 200,000 aging citizens could receive health services.

LTC services under the Medicaid program’s coverage include nursing facility stay, three kinds of therapy, adult day medical services, home and community-based care, and even transportation. Residents can apply in Medicaid through the federally-facilitated Marketplace, which uses a partnership model.

On March 27, 2014, New Hampshire witnessed the signing of a legislation that would enact Medicaid expansion in the state. The legislation will create a pilot program scheduled to last two and a half years, with the aim of insuring 50,000 indigent adult residents for health coverage.

Older adults, people with disabilities, and other individuals who rely on long-term care can get proper nourishment through the state’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

More Resources

To get more specific information regarding long-term care services and insurance options in New Hampshire, please check the following websites: